Jiro Tanaka, 28 years old, has a girlfriend.
His girlfriend is Suella Hendelberg.
Memoria Tris.
Occupation: Dungeon Tester (Full-time Employee)
Magic Aptitude: 8 (General Class)
Position: Warrior
“You’re prepared to be crushed? I’ll crush you first!!”
Looking at the situation, it’s me who’s being cornered. I accept the Bishop’s words as if they’re not my concern, though I understand them perfectly.
However, I’m only half listening, so it’s as good as not hearing anything. It’s more beneficial to dedicate my thoughts to dealing with the ever-changing situation rather than listening to such shrill voices.
Well, I managed to utter a defiant shout, but the reality is that I’m outnumbered. It takes more courage than I expected to face the pinch with resolve, but it seems my opponents won’t give me time to leisurely think.
As if ignoring my wish for a moment’s peace, the soldiers attacked me all at once, triggered by my provocation of that sly old man while smoking. Naturally, the room instantly became a scene of brutality.
I wonder where people’s communication skills went. The soldiers, who tore the word “mercy” from their dictionaries, acted independently. Some swung their swords, others thrust them to pursue me as I dodged, and some even tried to grab me to immobilize me. They attacked me with every conceivable method, showcasing the results of their rigorous training.
There’s no reason for me to hold back against such soldiers. I dealt with them without holding back, not using weapons, but hitting and kicking them bare-handed. Even amidst the dull thudding sounds in the room, that sly old man’s voice was clearly audible.
“Hey, what are you doing!! There’s only one opponent!!”
The Bishop, dissatisfied with my composure in handling the situation, urged them on, but if skills could be improved with such scoldings, it would be easy. On the contrary, if it worked, they’d be confirmed perverts. I broke the jaw of an approaching soldier with my knee and, without waiting for him to collapse, leaped onto his shoulder and smashed through the window glass with the momentum.
“Whoa, a magic barrier.”
I tried to kick through it, but my right foot hit something hard, a magic barrier that repelled me. I pondered for a moment, expecting something like this, and quickly came up with a solution.
“You won’t escape!!”
“I expected you to be prepared… Troublesome.”
It’s natural for them to set up a trap or two when they’ve prepared a room like this. They’d naturally plan to trap me here. The sly old man, smugly watching from behind the soldiers, showed a confident expression, knowing I couldn’t escape. This would be the part where they’d usually reveal their motives, reasons, and hidden circumstances.
“It seems your guess was wrong, you fool.”
“Haa.”
A sigh escaped me at the Bishop’s desire to talk. But why is this Bishop so composed? If they expect to trap me, they should also anticipate being broken through.
“Hmph!”
“What!?”
To make him understand, I exhaled a sigh and then, with a burst of spirit, I shattered the wall, not the window, with a roundhouse kick, making his confident expression falter. Leaving a smug grin on my face as a message of tuition, I attempted to escape. Naturally, a blue vein pulsed on the Bishop’s forehead as he saw me leave with such an expression.
“What are you doing!! Chase him quickly!!” Looking intimidating, I ran around in my suit, wondering if they lacked calcium. I moved not towards the exit, but deeper inside. If I were to describe my actions, it would be an assault rather than an escape.
“So, his objective is the hero!”
Oh, that sly old man is holding back, but I’m surprised he can run with that physique. The way his belly jiggles is amusing. Thinking unrelated thoughts like “that’s what you call a mobile fat person,” I mowed down the soldiers blocking my path. To an onlooker, it must have looked like a game where a man in a suit defeats soldiers of light attribute using fists and kicks. And, as the Bishop said, running towards me, he could indeed predict that my objective was to force my way through and meet the hero.
“Still, there are so many.”
Clearing a path, I heard grunts from the soldiers with my fists, for what felt like the umpteenth time. I kicked away soldiers who declared “I’ll stop you here,” threw soldiers who attacked with “Heretic!”, and punched my way through mages attacking from afar, opening the path. It’s easy to say, but the path was like an RPG where soldiers kept appearing without end. It’s enough to make one utter a complaint or two. While I wouldn’t lose in a one-on-one fight, the sheer numbers are troublesome and drain my stamina. I didn’t take long to ponder what to do. The room I was guided to last time is just a stone’s throw away, but soldiers are swarming like ants in between. Realistically, breaking through would be possible with my current strength, but the quantity is inefficient. It’s bad manners to throw away a cigarette I finished smoking while running, so I put it in my portable ashtray. Seeing my casual attitude, they became hostile, but it meant nothing to me. In fact, it made the trajectory of their swords easier to read, which was helpful. After about ten minutes of maneuvering to the Bishop’s clamoring as background music.
“So, you’re the cause of this commotion.”
“The main act has arrived.”
A man who seemed to embody the word “dignity” walked, creating a path through the soldiers, and revealed himself.
“Commander!”
“Oh, the Commander of the Knights’ Order has arrived!”
Unlike the Bishop, he seemed to be a man of action, an important figure. With his buzz-cut blond hair, an old scar on his right cheek, hawk-like sharp eyes, and a massive physique covered in bear-like muscles, he had me completely in his sights.
“Are you the guest from Nihon?”
“Oh, you’ll listen to me. I thought you’d attack me without question for causing such a disturbance.”
“You are not of the Demon Race. Humans converse when they can.”
It’s hard to tell if this person is a great figure or an idiot for saying such things in this situation.
“Is that so? Well, these conversational humans won’t return our country’s children when we ask them to?”
“We have our own circumstances. We cannot comply with the demand for their return.”
I see, this guy isn’t an idiot. He’s a stubborn idealist, even more troublesome. I couldn’t agree with his immediate response, but his conviction was conveyed.
“Do you understand what will happen if you convey that to my country?”
“I am fully aware. And you will not be able to convey it.”
“May I ask why?”
I tried to subtly threaten him, but he didn’t budge. Ah, this guy isn’t here to talk. This Commander is just another person who wants to capture me.
“Because you cannot defeat me.”
“Well, we’ll see?”
Seeing his sword drawn smoothly, his image momentarily overlapped with Instructor Kio’s. My ability to move instantly was a testament to my training; following my intuition, I leaped backward with all my might before the roaring sound reached my ears.
“…A magic tool?”
“You figured it out, huh?”
I smiled, feigning coolness to hide my near-death experience. He accurately understood the reason why I moved lighter and more powerfully than usual, making me accept his status as Commander. I tried to act tough, but it’s true that I can’t win against him in my current state. I have a bracelet on my right hand, a talisman in my chest pocket, and several other protective charms for body reinforcement, but with all of them, it would only be a close fight. The situation is not as bad as I thought.
“Commander of the Knights! His objective is to cause a disturbance and lure the hero here!! I will provide support. Let’s capture him quickly!!”
“…Very well.”
However, the scales of victory and defeat have slightly tipped in their favor. And now they have healing support. Though I momentarily showed displeasure, he seems to prioritize rationality over fair play.
“It’s tough, but I’ll have to manage somehow.”
My thoughts immediately shifted to “I will manage” rather than questioning if I could. Honestly, facing these two bare-handed puts me at a disadvantage. I touched the jewel on my right-hand bracelet and flowed magic into it.
“Well, it doesn’t change what I have to do.”
Grabbing the hilt that emerged from space and pulling it out, an Ore Tree appeared.
“Haa, HYYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!”
Raising the Ore Tree and letting out a battle cry that vibrated the air, I made the soldiers step back. As expected of a man who rose to the rank of Bishop, the sly old man only grimaced, while the Commander showed no change at all.
“A good roar.”
“Thank you!”
Instead of recoiling, he easily stepped forward and engaged me in a sword lock. I’m using both hands, while he’s using one, that’s some incredible strength. Still, I can engage in a match. I pulled back once, creating an opening, and swept my weapon, but he blocked it with his sword, and all I felt was a hard sensation. Sparks flew from the Ore Tree, and with each clash, we chipped away at each other. We didn’t just clash in one spot; we utilized every footing available, engaging in a mobile battle.
“…”
“AAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!”
While I tried to compensate for my lack of skill with sheer spirit, he swung his sword silently. Using the skill “Slash,” I sent out blades, but they were either dodged or parried. Sometimes the Bishop’s defense intervened. From this, I can infer that unlike my instructor, he doesn’t have the defensive power to withstand attacks bare-handed. If they hit, damage would definitely land. We fought, creating shattering sounds that defied normal sword techniques. Sometimes we broke walls, caught soldiers in the crossfire, and made loud noises. I am here. I made a racket to convey “Come quickly.”
“Dangerous!”
“…”
Meanwhile, his attacks grazed my cheek, shoulder, and leg. Damage was steadily accumulating, fatigue was setting in, and my concentration was wavering.
“HAAAAAAAHHHH!!”
Each time, I recovered my spirit and regained my strength. Our exchange easily surpassed dozens, gracefully beyond hundreds, and was rapidly approaching thousands, yet I couldn’t break through this man. Instead, maintaining this pace was draining my stamina. I saw no hope of victory against his movements that prevented me from crossing a certain line and the Bishop’s support.
“Why can you smile?”
“Who knows!!”
Despite this, a smile played on my lips. He’s a formidable opponent, I can’t win, and my stamina is being gradually depleted. Presently, with multiple factors leading to defeat, I still couldn’t wipe the smile from my face.
“If I had to say, it’s because it’s fun!!”
“Enjoying battle? Ridiculous.”
“My apologies!! My master’s influence is too strong!!”
Smile when you’re in a pinch. Eliminate any openings for your opponent. If you lose mentally, you’ll lose even winnable battles. That’s why I feign toughness and smile; because I’m practicing that teaching, I can still smile without giving up even in this pinch. Even when blown away, I can recover with spirit and turn it into a counterattack. The speed of my swings with the Ore Tree became faster the second time than the first, and faster the hundredth time than the tenth. With such a mindset, I swung faster than before.
“Ngh!”
“First hit!!”
As a result, it wasn’t the Ore Tree that hit, but I felt a definite sensation on the sole of my foot. I achieved a small but tangible result against a superior opponent. We clashed mid-air, and as we landed, from the initial reception room, through the corridor, we flew and ran, finally arriving at the courtyard.
“Haa, haa, they’ve chased me quite far.”
“…”
I had been driven quite far from my destination. Moreover, I was panting for breath, while he, though sweating, wasn’t out of breath. It’s strange that the Bishop, who was providing support, was more winded, but the stamina difference with the opponent I had been clashing with was clear. It felt like about thirty minutes had passed since our fight began.
“Futile resistance, you might as well give up.”
“Frankly, I don’t understand giving up when you know you’ll die and be used in some twisted way.”
“You can become a cornerstone for world peace, why can’t you understand its nobility?”
“That’s none of my business. I’d understand if it were my own country, but this is another world. How can you ask anyone, even a masochist, to sacrifice their life for a country they never knew?”
Why is this Commander speaking now, during the fight, as I resist so fiercely? I rested the Ore Tree on my shoulder and scoffed at his words. World peace? I don’t care about that. My peace is the peace within my sight. If that is protected, then that’s enough. It’s a selfish argument, I know.
“…I see.”
We cannot understand each other. I knew that from the beginning. As the Commander prepared to engage again, I took out a cigarette, possibly my last, and lit it.
“Are you ready?”
“I’m ready to live, but unfortunately, I’m not ready to die.”
It was evident that I would be cornered and lose if things continued like this. But time is not my only enemy. Victory lies there. Just as we were about to clash again.
“Hm?”
Our gazes, which had been locked on each other, shifted to our feet for a moment. An immense magic power, unlike anything I had felt earlier, erupted from the depths of the earth like a volcanic eruption after a brief pause. It was inevitable that we both leaped back. If we had stayed there for a few more seconds, we would have been caught in this attack from beyond our perception. Moreover, its power…
“Whoa, the clouds in the sky are splitting.”
It reminded me of a dragon’s attack from a game. An unexpected attack. I naturally looked towards the giant hole in the sky, wondering who would launch such a reckless assault. And, as if timed perfectly, the culprit appeared.
“Amelia? What are you doing?”
“Ah, Jirou-san!”
Reality can sometimes be cruel. I immediately realized that I had almost been caught in friendly fire from an ally. Amelia was supposed to be held captive. I had heard from the Guild Master that she might be imprisoned underground. Added to that, after such an artillery bombardment, if only Amelia emerged from this giant hole, even a child could deduce the situation. Unaware of my thoughts, Amelia, after seeing my battered state, looked around curiously.
“Um, am I… in good timing?”
“Bad timing, you idiot girl!”
I felt like yelling at her for arriving as reinforcements in such a manner.
Jiro Tanaka, 28 years old, has a girlfriend.
His girlfriend is Suella Hendelberg.
Memoria Tris.
Occupation: Dungeon Tester (Full-time Employee)
Magic Aptitude: 8 (General Class)
Position: Warrior
Today’s word: Waiting requires patience, but sometimes it is necessary.
This chapter concludes here. We look forward to your continued support for this work!
